Ontario

An exciting Path to Change
announcement

We are thrilled to announce that CNIB
and the Ontario Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care have reached an agreement
about long-term funding for post-vision
loss rehabilitation therapy. By mid-2017,
these rehabilitation services will be fully
funded by the government and efforts will
be underway to integrate them into the
public health care system. We will then
be able to focus on charitable programs
that complement and enhance these
rehabilitation services – addressing the
practical and emotional needs of Ontarians
with vision loss, enhancing quality of life
and creating a more inclusive society.

Dedicated support for Ontarians
who are deafblind

Building on our continued commitment
to supporting people who are deafblind
across the province, CNIB has created a
new division dedicated specifically to these
individuals. Thanks to provincial funding,
we operate the largest CNIB program
in Canada for people who are deafblind,
serving 400 Ontarians who have both
vision and hearing loss. Our 109 staff
members work one-on-one with deafblind
clients, acting as their eyes and ears to
help them communicate and integrate into
their communities, and achieve as much
independence as possible.

Fighting for the rights of people
with print disabilities

We’re proud to announce that one of our
most hard-working volunteers, Dorothy
Macnaughton, recently won the Ontario
Library Association’s 2016 Les Fowlie
Intellectual Freedom Award for her
years of advocacy for people with print
disabilities. Dorothy began serving on
the CNIB Library board of directors in the
1990s and played an important role in
the creation of the Centre for Equitable
Library Access (CELA), a partnership
between CNIB and public libraries
nationwide. Dorothy now chairs the CNIB
Northern Ontario Board of Directors.

Meet the Thomson family

Shortly after she was born, Megan
Thomson acquired a neurological vision
disorder as a result of a brain injury.
Since then, CNIB has been a lifeline for
not only Megan, but her whole family.

One of Megan’s favourite parts of CNIB
is our Lake Joseph Centre, commonly
known as “Lake Joe”, which provides a
blend of rehabilitation and recreation in a
safe, inclusive environment. Whether it’s
kayaking, swimming, or arts and crafts,
Lake Joe offers it all – in a place specially
made for people with vision loss. The
Thomson family has been going to Lake
Joe for “Family Week” since it was first
recommended to them six years ago.

At Lake Joe, Megan has thrown herself
into tubing and rock climbing, while her
family has had a chance to meet and get
to know other families facing some of the
same challenges as them.

“As parents, we’re supposed to be a
support system,” says Megan’s mom,
Andrea, “but I think we unconsciously
set limits at times, so being able to see
others succeed is enlightening.”